Device for ozonizing refrigerators



Patented Aug.2o,1 94o o l I y 2,212,109

UNITED .STATES PAralarv ori-icc DEVICE Fon ozoNrzlNG REFmGEnATons Kurt Abraham, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Siemens & Halske,. Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin- Si'emensstadt, Germany, a corporation of Germany Application January 12, 1938, Serial No. 184,520 In Germany December 22, 1937 6 Claims. (Cl. (i2-89)' This mvention relates to cabinet refrigerators, Casing 8, however, may alsovbe made of metal. especially to such refrigerators of domestic and .The casing contains electric elements for gensimilar types. erating the high frequency current necessary for It has been proposed to improve the foodproducing ozone, and portion 9 encloses or forms preserving eects of refrigerators and to deopart of an electrode set connectedwith the high B dorize the air within the cooling chamber by cirfrequency circuit. As shown in Figure 3, the culatng ozone through the cooling chamber.- two leads 2I and 22 of an alternating current An object of the .invention is to simplify the circuit are connected to a high frequency genstructure and arrangement of ozone apparatus erator IIJ. The output side of this generator is l0 so as to render them applicable in combination connected to the primary circuit II of a high 10 with cabinet refrigerators in such a way that the frequency transformer, the secondary winding of ozone is developed immediately within the cabiwhich is designated by 23. net. l l The projecting extension 9 of the ozonizer Another object of the invention consists in casingl is constructed as a removable cover. It

16 reducing the space occupied by that portion of forms one of the active electrodes. A cylinder the ozone-producing device which lies within 24 of glass or another insulating material is the utilizable storage space of the cabinet, and placed upon an insulating base 25 and held in in locating these parts in such a manner that., K' position by a screw or bolt 26 and by leaf springs the ozonizing elements avoid obstructing the 21 mounted to the cover electrode 9. Cylinder storage space. 24 carries at its inside a wire gauze electrode 28 20 A still further object is an economic, currentwhich is connected toxthe second pole of the saving operation of the ozone apparatus. high frequency transformer by means 0f\b0lt 9 The invention will be understood by the foland a conductive connection (not. shown) belowing description ofthe embodiment illustrated tween bolt 9 and gauze 28. in the accompanying drawing in which- Preferably, the ozone-producing secondary cir- 25 Figure 1 shows, partly in section, a refrigeracuit including the electrodes 9 and 28 and the tor cabinet provided with an ozonizer unit acsecondary windings 23 of the high frequency cording to the invention; transformer are tuned to the primary high fre- Figure 2 shows the' same refrigerator in a view quency circuit. 'Ihis tuning may be 'effected by at right angles with respect to that of Figure 1, employing an adjustable high frequency trans- 80 likewise partly in section; former, by applying adjustable reactors or other Figure 3 represents a cross section through the means common for tuning high frequency cirozone-producingv apparatus shown in Figures 1 cuits. If', for instance,4 the transformer is supand 2, as welll as a diagram of the operating cirplied with comminuted high frequency magnet cuit. cores, a suicient tuning of adequate permanence 36 In theI figures, I designates the outer wall of may be effected by providing the magnet cores a domestic refrigerator and 2 the inner Wall formwith an adjusting screw as known with high .ing the cooling chamber. Both walls are made frequency iron cores forL radio purposes. The arof sheet metal. 3 designates the thermically inrangement shown in Figure 3 is adapted to be sulating material placed between the walls I and tuned by the manufacturer or adjuster so as to 40 2. 4 is the door of the cabinet and 5 the casing require no further attention when using the reof the evaporator arranged near the top ofI the frigerator. However, it could also be provided cooling chamber. The inner wall 2 of the chamwith tuning means which arearranged accessibly ber is provided with ledges 6 for carrying screens in order to facilitate repairs and subsequent ad- 1 forming storage shelves. The elements dejustments.

scribed so far correspond to those of conventional l The casing 8 is so arranged between walls I refrigerators and may be constructed and arand 2 that only the extension 9 projects into the ranged in any known manner. The evaporator cooling chamber. Part 9 is provided with aper- 5, for instance, may be that of an electrically tures I2so as to allow the airof the cooling or other energy operated refrigerating system of chamber to reach the electrodes.

the compression or the absorption type. In order to avoid space-obstruction, part 9 Reference numeral 8 designates the casing of is arranged immediately below one of the shelf an ozone apparatus. The casing consists of inscreens 1. In the embodiment shown, one of sulating material and carries a projecting porthe screen-carrying ledges 6 is' structurally comtion 9 of metal which -is electrically grounded. bined with cover part 9. Casing 8 may also 55 be arranged at the top or in a corner of the cooling chamber. It is further of advantage in some cases to render casing 8 directly accessible from the outside of the cabinet in order to facilitate the mounting of the ozonizer and an exchange or adjustment of its elements.

The operation of the ozonizing device is Vthe following: So long as the current energizing the high frequency generator l is switched in, the air within the cooling chamber passing through the apertures I2 is decomposed and ozone is developed. This ozone produces an additional preserving effect, thus improving the storageability of sensitive products and also largely prevents the developmentof unpleasant odors.

While the ozonizer could be dimensioned for being permanently operated as long as the refrigerator itself is in operation, it is, according to the invention, of advantage to provide a device for periodically operating the ozone apparatus in dependency on the actual want or on operating conditions which are in conformity with the ozone consumption in an approximation sufcient for practical purposes. The arrangement iliustrated by Figure 3 corresponds to the last-mentioned type of apparatus.

The leads 2| and 22 are connected to an alter'- nating current supply circuit 29 through a switch 35 and a contact device 30. Contacts 3|) form part of a control relay, the magnet coil of which is designated by 3|. A second contact set 32-of this relay is also connected with the supply circuit 29 and lserves to control the electric motor 33 of the rcfrigerating system which includes evaporator 5. A main switch 34 serves to connect or disconnect the whole refrigerator unit, including the ozone apparatus, with the supply circuit, while switch 35 allows disconnecting of the ozonizer without affecting the refrigeration. Coil 3| of the control relay is connected with a thermostat which causes the coil to be energized in response to a given or adjusted maximum temperature in the cooling chamber. The electrical system shown in the lower part of Figure 3 is arranged in the base section 36 of the cabinet below the cooling chamber.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 3, the ozonizer is periodically switched in simultaneously with the refrigerating system and operates as long as the motor of that system is running. The electrode portion of the ozonizer is so dimensioned that during each operating period, ozone is produced in a sufficient excess. This dependency of the ozone production upon the operation of the refrigerating system presents the advantage that indirectly by very simple means a dependency of the ozone production upon the openings of the cabinet door and thereby upon the actual need cf ozone is obtained. If, namely, the door is opened and thus a loss of ozone is caused or new foods to be cooled and preserved are stored, the temperature withinthe chamber increases and effects a switching-in of the motor as well as of the ozone apparatus. Although the ozone consumption theoretically is not in strict correspondence with the required cooling, the results obtained with the above-described arrangement are satisfactory for many practical, especially domestic, purposes and present the advantages of simplicity and reliability.

The relay coil 3| may be provided with only one set of contacts, serving to control the ozonizer only. The relay may further be operated by a time switch which effects a switching-in of the' ozone apparatus for a given period after each opening of door 4. A door contact, as conventional for lighting refrigerator cabinets, may be employed for operating the time switch. Coil 3| may also be connected with a control element `which causes an energization of the coil in dependency upon the ozone content within the cooling chamber.

While the embodiment illustrated shows the high frequency generator I0 in structural combination with the electrodes 9, both portions of the apparatus may be mounted separately. For instance, a second set of electrodes arranged in another section of the cabinet may be connected with the high frequency generator or the high frequency transformer of another electrode set. The high frequency Vgenerating portion may also be placed in the bottom or base part 36 of the cabinet While one or more electrode sets' conA nected to the generator are arranged in othel places of the cooling chamber.

I claim:

1. With a cabinet refrigerator, in combination, an ozone-producing apparatus comprising a casing mounted within the insulating wall of the cabinet of said refrigerator, an electric high frequency generating system arranged in said casing, an electrode set electrically connected with said system, and a perforated enclosure forming part of said electrode set and being secured to said casing Aso as to project into the cooling chamber of said cabinet.-

2. With a cabinet refrigerator having its cooling chamber designed to be provided with shelves, in combination, an ozone-producing apparatus comprising a casing mounted Within the insulating wall of the cabinet of said refrigerator, an electric high frequency generating system arranged in said casing, an electrode set electrically connected With said system, and a perforated enclosure forming part of said electrode set and being secured to said casing so as to project into the cooling chamber of said cabinet, said enclosure being arranged in the top portion of one of the horizontal chamber-sections formedl by said shelves.

3. With a cabinet refrigerator having its cooling chamber provided with screen-like shelves, in combination, an ozone-producing apparatus comprising a casing mounted within the insulating wall of the cabinet of said refrigerator, an electric high frequency generating system arranged in said casing, a perforated metallic cover secured to said casing and connected with one pole of said system, an electrode arranged within said cover and connected with the other pole of said system, said cover being arranged s'o as to project into said chamber and forming a support for one of said shelves.

4. Witha cabinet refrigerator having a cooling chamber, in combination, an electric apparatus for producing ozone united with the cabinet of said refrigerator so as to form a structural unit, the electrodes of said apparatus being arranged in said cooling chamber for directly influencing the air in said chamber and an automatic control device connected with said apparatus and designed for periodically operating said apparatus. l

5. With a cabinet refrigerator having a. cooling chamber enclosed by heat insulating walls, in combination, an ozone-producing apparatus comprising a high frequency generating portion and a set of ozone-producing electrodes connected with said generator portion, said set of electrodes being arranged within said cooling I chamber, said generator portion beingarranged` within a heat insulating wall of said cooling chamber.

6. With a cabinet refrigerator having a cooling chamber enclosed by heat insulating walls, in combination, an ozone-producing apparatus comprising a casing, an electric high frequency generating system arranged in said casing, an

electrode set electrically connected with said system, a perforated protecting enclosure forming part of said electrode set, said casing being mounted within a heatinsulating wall of said cooling chamber, and said enclosure being mounted on said wall so as to project into said cooling chamber.

KURT ABRAHAM. 

